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Our Favorite Things: Micro Mini Kick Scooters for preschoolers (plus the Maxi Kick scooter for older kids)
Three Christmases ago, I was wasting time looking at kids’ scooters on Amazon. I had all but decided to purchase a Razor scooter for my then five-year-old daughter, but I just wanted to make sure I was purchasing the right one (the agony I put myself through over a $30 toy). All of a sudden, my world shifted. I found the Mini Kick Scooter by Kickboard USA. I couldn’t get over the reviews on these things. 4.5 to 5 stars all over the place. People raved about it. It was winning impressive toy awards all over the world.
So, I laid down the cash and purchased one for my two and four-year-old boys (yeah, I know. I was shopping for Audrey.).
The reviews were right. These are the most awesome scooters ever made. The awesomeness comes from four features:
1. The wheels: Two wheels in the front and one in the back. Anything else is a recipe for disaster. Since the wheels are polyurethane they won’t leave black marks on the floor. My kids learned how to ride their scooters inside since it was too cold and/or wet right after Christmas.
2. The lean-to-steer design: This allows children to use their body weight to control the steering, giving them a feeling of stability as they gently curve from right to left — just like a bicycle. This is different than other scooters that require kids to turn the handlebars to turn the scooter. That’s why your kids keep falling over. This is the only scooter that isn’t frustrating for kids to ride. This steering design also helps kids better transition to riding a bicycle since they already know how to lean to make the scooter turn.
3. The modular construction: All the parts are replaceable, so the scooters last, virtually forever. Our boys destroyed some of the parts by jumping the thing over curbs. My husband called the company to purchase replacement parts and they sent it to us for FREE (which was totally unexpected).
4. The weight: These things are super light. I can easily carry two of them while pushing a double stroller with two chunky kids — perfect for the “I’m tired and just can’t manage to ride my scooter one.more.minute” type of moment. They also pack well for camping trips and Sunriver vacations.
I don’t want to get too dramatic, but this is the type of item that can be truly passed from one kid to another. I have no intention of ever getting rid of our scooters, as they are the most popular toy in our garage during the warmer months. The neighbor kids are constantly riding them because they completely dominate every other scooter they have ridden in the past.
Whenever I see my friends having their kids ride a regular scooter, I start yelling “Why are you making them ride that stupid thing? It doesn’t work! Buy the Mini Kick!” Ask them, I’m not joking. There is much yelling involved. I’m like that with the Mini Kick.
The Mini Kicks are best suited for kids five and under. Matthew was dominating his scooter at 18 months. Yes, you read that correctly. Eighteen months. I have pictures to prove it, but most of them are him naked-as-a-jaybird except for his shoes and helmet (don’t worry, we lived on a quiet street and he just rode in the driveway).
I just discovered the newest accessory for the Mini Kick: The Mini Micro 3-in-1 Scooter. This is an attachment that converts a Mini into a sitting scooter for young toddlers.
Baby Lucy will be getting this next year for sure. If you have a little one, this is the perfect situation — you Micro Mini 3-in-1 Kick Scooter, then just take the attachment off when they get a bit older and are ready to ride the thing standing up. Now the scooter will fit your child from about one to five years of age.
If you have an older child, be sure to check out the Maxi Kick Scooter. We have a Maxi for our older kids and they switch between this and their bikes all summer long. The Maxi Kick handles just like the Mini Kick, but it’s larger (obviously), is a bit bulkier to handle big kids and the t-bar handle is adjustable. I’ve had older elementary kids ride our Maxi for hours around the APT complex. In fact, some kids prefer riding it over their bikes.
One important thing to note: It will take your child a day or two to get the hang of riding and steering their new scooter. Lean-to-steer is a skill that must be learned and doesn’t necessarily come naturally at first (very much like riding a bike). Don’t freak out and curse my name on Christmas morning if they aren’t zipping around the cul-de-sac immediately. I promise they will get the hang of it within about 30 minutes and will absolutely LOVE it.
